Having a beard is one thing, and keeping it tame and neat is another whole experience. As the beard continues to grow, it becomes curly. It could spiral itself down or form a zigzag shape that can be very hard to maintain. When the pain becomes unbearable when you want to straighten your bushy beard, what should you do? No, you should not shave your beard. Rather, get yourself a good beard relaxer.
What Is a Beard Relaxer
A beard relaxer is a cream or chemical that helps to straighten your beard and saves you the pain of brushing through a tangled beard. A beard relaxer has alkali chemicals as active ingredients. These chemicals include sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or lye (a combination of the first two). It is the answer to a painless beard grooming process.
Benefits of Using Beard Relaxer
When you started your beard journey, you certainly did not want it to be a painful process. Unfortunately, you have gotten to a point where combing or brushing your beard is unnecessarily painful. If you use a beard relaxer, you will enjoy the following benefits:
Less Curly Beard
A beard relaxer will straighten your beard so that you can easily pass your comb or brush and keep your mane well-groomed. You no longer have to endure the pain of looking neat and prim.
Easier Detangling Process
After washing your beard, the hairs are less likely to get tangled as they did before using a beard relaxer. A beard relaxer will allow you to smoothly detangle your beard as you work towards keeping it well-groomed and healthy.
Ease in Cleaning Your Beard
A beard relaxer straightens your beard, so it is easier to clean and remove dirt and particles. The straightened strands work well with water, ensuring that your wash days are always successful.
Moisturized Beard
Most beard relaxers have moisturizing qualities, which help to keep your beard well moisturized. The moisturizer helps to strengthen your beard cuticles along the shafts. The moisturizer also keeps your beard fully nourished with essential nutrients.
How Does a Beard Relaxer Work
Your tangled beard could be a result of two possibilities.
The shape of your hair follicles determines how straight or curly your beard turns out. Oval shaped follicles are the genesis of curled beards, while round follicles give you a more straightened beard.
The keratin bonds in your beard could also be the reason why your beard is so curly. The tighter the bonds, the more tangled your beard becomes.
There is nothing much you can do about the shape of your follicles. However, you can alter your keratin bonds’ strength with beard relaxers to achieve a straighter beard. The strong alkali chemicals in a beard relaxer help break down the keratin bonds that coil up facial hair.
Pros and Cons of Beard Relaxers
Pros
- You no longer have to worry about a painful beard detangling process. Detangling your beard is probably one of your worst nightmares, especially if you are not very keen on treating your beard. A beard relaxer saves you the pain because it gives you straighter beard hair.
- A beard relaxer gives your beard a tamer and well-groomed look, especially if your hair follicles work against having a straight beard. If you struggle with keeping your beard neat because of the curly follicles, then a beard relaxer could be the solution you need.
- A beard relaxer has essential oils and moisturizing qualities that help keep your beard well moisturized and easy to handle. Moisturizing beard oil you may find in your favorite beard relaxer include grapeseed, jojoba, argan, apricot, and kernel oil. You should consider stimulating beard growth with the help of a derma roller alongside the essential oils.
Cons
- The alkaline chemicals in a beard relaxer are likely to do more harm than good to your beard, especially if you use them for prolonged periods. Sadly, a beard relaxer could cause greater harm to your beard than heated brushes or a hair blow-dry.
- The chemicals are not gentle on your facial hairs and beat them to submission by destroying your natural keratin layer. They weaken your beard, which is why you are likely to notice a lot of beard hair on your brush every time you comb or brush it.
- As much as your beard becomes straighter and easier to comb through, it also becomes unresponsive. It loses the natural texture of a beard.
- Beard relaxers also deplete your beard of essential amino acids such as cysteine. As a result, instead of the beautiful natural mane you have been sporting, you are left with a frail and damaged beard.
- Most men who have used beard relaxers admit that their beards lost all their natural qualities. The beard suffers from damage traits such as split ends, dandruff, and frizzy hair. You do not want to lose your beautiful mane to such ruthless chemicals.
Types of Beard Relaxers
Just like you would consider using an electric razor or a blade when you want to achieve that straightened and less tangled look on your beard, there are a few options you could consider.
Beard Relaxing Cream
A beard relaxing cream is a chemical agent that helps to straighten the curled hair follicles on your beard. Beard relaxing creams have alkaline qualities that deplete the keratin in your beard and straightens it.
Flat Iron
If your mane is truly wild and you do not want to use a beard relaxing cream, a flat iron could be your most ideal choice. A good hair straightening iron will control your beard without exposing it to the harshness of a blow dryer or a relaxing chemical.
Use a mini-sized flat iron because a regular one is too big. You could also use a premium oil-free moisturizer to keep your beard moisturized.
Round Styling Brush and Comb
You can keep your beard from getting tangled by brushing it. A curly beard can be very unruly, and this gadget helps you achieve the straightness and flexibility you want in your beard. for best results, use the world’s best cartridge razor to trim your facial hair. You can achieve a perfect look using an electric razor or blade. You could also consider trimming your beard with beard scissors so it is less tangled.
When you trim your beard, be sure to use a precise shaving mirror so you get the best results. You can also detangle your hair by combing your beard regularly and maintaining that prim look.
Styling Balm
A beard balm may be the alternative you need to consider when starting to detangle your beard. It works as a leave-in conditioner, which helps to moisturize, condition, style, and soften your beard. Use a good balm for your beard. a good beard balm should make your facial hair look denser while helping you achieve a straightened look.
How to Use a Beard Relaxer
For effective results, follow this simple guide when using a beard relaxer:
Step 1 – Start by cleaning the beard
Wash the beard with a beard relaxing shampoo and then wear disposable gloves and partition your facial hair into small sections.
Step 2 – Apply the relaxing cream
Apply the beard relaxing cream on each section while avoiding contact with your skin. Use a beard comb to spread it across your beard, leave it for about half an hour, and then rinse out the relaxer without a shampoo.
Step 3 – Dry the beard
Dry your beard with a blow dryer but do not use a towel, so you do not remove the cream.
Step 4 – Straighten your beard
Next, use a straightening iron to straighten out the curls in your beard. Once you are satisfied with the results, clean out the beard relaxer with beard shampoo. Repeat this action three times to clean out all residue.
After using a relaxer on your beard, your skin might feel dry from the chemicals. Use a facial cream for smoother skin and a more moisturized feel.
Does More Spending Mean More Quality
When it comes to a beard relaxer, more spending doesn’t mean more quality. When choosing your beard relaxer, do not focus on the price tag to determine the best product.
Focus instead on the quality of the product by which is determined by the ingredients used. Choose a relaxer that will cater to your beard’s straightening needs and one that does not contain harmful ingredients.
Do’s and Don’ts With a Beard Relaxer
Do’s
- Do use a beard relaxer that is friendly to your hair or beard. You do not want to lose your beard while trying to get it straight.
- Do use hand gloves when applying your relaxer. The relaxer has alkaline chemicals that could be harmful to your skin
Don’ts
- Do not use a chemical beard relaxer regularly. Using it frequently will weaken your beard, and you may end up shaving it all because of the damage.
- Do not use head hair relaxers on your beard. Beard hair is softer than head hair, and the head hair relaxer might be too harsh in your beard.
FAQ About Beard Relaxers
Do beard relaxers damage your beard?
The truth is that beard relaxers weaken your hair by depleting the keratin in it. You might experience split end, frizzing and damaged hair.
Is it safe to straighten my beard hair?
It is safe to straighten your beard hair with non-chemical products. You could use a flat iron or a comb and brush.
Can I apply a hair relaxer to my beard for effective growth?
A hair relaxer does not encourage the growth of your beard. It will only detangle. You can achieve hair growth by using other products such as essential oils like jojoba and argan.
If you used a hair relaxer on a shaved head, would the hair be straight when it grows out?
No. a hair relaxer will only be effective on already grown hair. The fresh growing hair will grow with its own keratin, so you might have to consider applying a relaxer once the hair is grown.
Do beard relaxers work?
Yes, beard relaxers work if used properly.
Conclusion
Maintaining a well-groomed beard can be an uphill task if you do not have the right products. You may consider buying some hair relaxers such as beard relaxing creams, a flat iron, and a brush and comb. If you use any of these products, you will detangle your beard and get that well manageable mane.
Photos from: L
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